Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain its data (e.g., information) and includes random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), among others. Non-volatile memory can provide persistent data by retaining stored data when not powered and can include NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, read only memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), phase change random access memory (PCRAM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), and magnetic random access memory (MRAM), such as spin torque transfer random access memory (STT RAM), among others.
Memory devices can be combined together to form a solid state drive (SSD). A solid state drive can include non-volatile memory (e.g., NAND flash memory and NOR flash memory), and/or can include volatile memory (e.g., DRAM and SRAM), among various other types of non-volatile and volatile memory. An SSD can be used to replace hard disk drives as the main storage device for a computer, as the solid state drive can have advantages over hard drives in terms of performance, size, weight, ruggedness, operating temperature range, and power consumption. For example, SSDs can have superior performance when compared to magnetic disk drives due to their lack of moving parts, which may avoid seek time, latency, and other electro-mechanical delays associated with magnetic disk drives. SSD manufacturers can use non-volatile flash memory to create flash SSDs that may not use an internal battery supply, thus allowing the drive to be more versatile and compact.
An SSD can include a number of memory devices (e.g., a number of memory chips or a number of multi-chip packages). As used herein, “a number of” something can refer to one or more of such things (e.g., a number of memory devices can refer to one or more memory devices). As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a memory chip can include a number of memory units (e.g., a number of dies or logical units (LUNs)). Each die can include a number of memory arrays and peripheral circuitry thereon.
The memory arrays can be divided into a number of “planes” (e.g., two planes, four planes, etc.), with each plane including a number of physical blocks of memory cells. In multi-plane page programming operations, user data along with corresponding parity data can be “striped” across a number of different memory units of a memory system. These parity stripes can include groups of blocks from a plurality of memory units with each group having a parity block associated therewith. However, various previous approaches utilizing parity stripes have drawbacks such as unnecessarily reducing available memory capacity, among other drawbacks.